Dry-cured sausage during pregnancy: can you eat it?

Dry-cured meats (prosciutto, dry sausage, salami) present very little risk. They can be eaten without particular restrictions during pregnancy.

Simply remember that these are foods particularly high in salt and should not be consumed in excess — adjust your diet accordingly.

Do you find this recommendation surprising? Many pregnant women mistakenly believe they must avoid cold cuts during pregnancy, as was once thought.

However:

- Health Canada classifies dried and salted cured meats such as salami and pepperoni among "Safer Foods" in its recommendations for pregnant women.

- It is known that drying reduces water activity and makes dried cured meats very unfavorable for Listeria growth.

- Several studies have shown that the drying process destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis.

- In available epidemiological data in the United States, there are no cases of listeria associated with consuming dried cured meats (and numerous cases associated with consuming cooked cold cuts stored in poor conditions).